June 2019, the rapper Stormzy walked onto the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury and with the words “let’s take this to church … we’re giving God all the glory right now”
He sang:
“Lord I’ve been broken
Although I’m not worthy
You fixed me
I’m Blinded By Your Grace
You came and saved me
Blinded by your grace”
He’s right. Grace is stunning.
The world was changed, our lives switched from death to life, by the sheer and ferocious passion of God to make us his children and bring us home. He has acted, unilaterally, proactively, lovingly at immeasurable expense to pour favour, forgiveness and new life on underserving unworthy humans. Grace means “gift”. To be a Christian is to be one who has collided with the incoming grace of God.
The only qualification for grace? Our need.
Paul sums up the effect of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as “grace”.
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9
We are rich: He has “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ“. Ephesians 1:3
Amnesty for our sin
Life for our death
Hope for our future (and the whole universe!)
This generosity of God remakes us as generous and big-hearted humans. His poverty makes us rich.
2 Cor 8:9 has a wonderful matching pair in 2 Cor 9:8 – “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
The Christian life manifests the grace of God at work in us. That looks like generosity: open-handed, open-hearted living.
Being generous is not a good idea, or a moral virtue that we attempt to live out in conformity to Jesus. No! It is the very life and nature of the other-centred, self-giving God spilling in and out of our lives, drawing others into deepening and strengthening connection. It is not possible to know Jesus who is infinitely generous, and remain mean and self-indulgent.
The family of God into which we have been welcomed has a culture of generosity. Generosity is a mark of our faithfulness to Christ. A stingy Christian is a contradiction in terms.
Though, full confession, breaking the resistance to small-mindedness, self protection and fear of not having is a challenging and life-time task for me!
Francis Spufford: in “Unapologetic” captures the generous spirit brilliantly:
“Behave as if nothing you gave away could make you poorer because you can never run out of what you give
Behave as if you didn’t have to hold anything back.”
Generosity is not just money or time or talent but is a whole-self, whole-life attitude of favouring, honouring and blessing others. It means treating people as God treats us, cutting imperfect humans some slack, believing for redemption and restoration when we and others fail, welcoming those who are strangers or just simply strange.
This Sunday we celebrate the Baptism of two young people. Baptism shows grace at work: God seeks us out and calls us to life in Him: that’s grace! Sustains us and supports us through life’s hurdles: that’s grace! And equips and enables us to witness and serve Him: that’s grace!
Let this grace dazzle us! And let us make every effort to be generous to others as God has been with us: heart, home, time, gifts, skills and money. And may we find God’s promised joy, freedom and even fun (2 Corinthians 9:7) as we share his goodness around.